Natività di Agnone (Presepe vivente)
The longest-running living nativity scene in Molise
About Natività di Agnone
Sixty years of a voice that warms Christmas Eve night
The Natività di Agnone is the longest-running living nativity scene in Molise: a tradition born from an initiative of the Capuchin friars and carried on for over sixty years as a community ritual that blends faith, culture, and local identity, involving hundreds of young participants from the Upper Molise village each year.
A choral performance
The staging takes place at the Monument of the Emigrants in Agnone, on the evening of December 24th, just before the 'Ndocciata della Vigilia. The narrative covers the Annunciation, the journey to Bethlehem, the Nativity, and the adoration of the shepherds and the Magi, with direction and artistic curation by the company Le 4C of the Cenacolo Culturale Francescano Camillo Carlomagno.
An event rooted in the community
Included in Agnone's rich Christmas calendar, in the province of Isernia, the Natività precedes by a short time the other major event of Christmas Eve, the 'Ndocciata, creating an evening that intertwines the solemnity of the sacred performance and the spectacular nature of the fire ritual.
Natività di Agnone — edition 2026
For 2026, the Natività di Agnone reaches its 66th edition. The performance takes place on the evening of December 24th at the Monument of the Emigrants, just before the 'Ndocciata della Vigilia, directed by the company Le 4C. The living nativity scene retraces the Annunciation, the journey to Bethlehem, the Nativity, and the adoration of the shepherds and the Magi.
Programme Natività di Agnone 2026
Thursday, December 24, 2026
- Christmas Eve evening — performance of the living nativity scene at the Monument of the Emigrants
- Following, in the historic center, the 'Ndocciata della Vigilia
The theme and details of the edition are announced in the weeks leading up to Christmas.
Highlights Natività di Agnone 2026
Prices Natività di Agnone 2026
Practical information — Natività di Agnone
How to get there
Agnone is reachable by car from the SS650 Trignina or via Isernia (about 45 km). The performance is held at the Monument of the Emigrants, in the town center.
When
December 24th, Christmas Eve evening, before the 'Ndocciata della Vigilia. Free admission.
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Where does it take place — Natività di Agnone
Monumento degli Emigranti, Agnone
Monumento degli Emigranti, 86081 Agnone